Year: 2015
Debut at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este
Production cost: $1.5 million*
This sharp little number was made by BMW and is said to be a nod to the batmobile yet also reminiscent of the BMW M1. With its compact, aluminum/carbon fiber body and sharp lines, it oozed racing appeal.
Complete with a six-cylinder engine and lightweight interior, the Hommage R was made to go fast. In fact, it can reach speeds of 174 miles per hour! Unfortunately, this little beauty could never make it to mass production because it was incredibly expensive to make.
Bisiluro Damolnar
Year: 1955
Debut at 24 Hours of Le Mans
Production cost: $20,000*
The Bisiluro Damolnar was a rather quirky-looking, twin-boom, a missile-like car with an oval-shaped steering wheel. Conceptualized by racer Enrico Nardi, he used a BMW, Giannin-tuned 750 engine for one side of the vehicle in its manufacturing. The other side of the vehicle featured the driver’s seat, and both the driver and engine were kept in their own streamlined capsules.
The cherry-red racer weighed under 1,000 pounds and was positioned on a Fiat 500 chassis. The Bisiluro Damolnar debuted in 1955 at the Le Mans running but was found to be unsuitable for the road due to its lightness.
Ferrari 250 Shooting Brake
Year: 1962
Debut at 24 Hours of Le Mans
Production cost: $400,000*
Italian team Giotti Bizzarrinni and Giovanni Volpi created the Ferrari 250 GT. The car was nicknamed “La Camionnette” or “little truck” by the French press and “Breadvan” by the English press. The nickname stemmed from its exterior design because it resembled a shooting-brake with its roofline that extended into the rear.
This avant-garde exterior design was based on the Kamm aerodynamic theory, which Bizzarrinni applied with the help of a car body specialist, Piero Drogo. Inside, the engine was a Ferrari 250 Tip-168 V12, and the transmission was a 250 SWB four-speed. The strange little model weighed in at 2,061.3 pounds at the ’62 Le Mans race.
2013 Nissan IDX
Year: 2013
Debut at Tokyo Motor Show
Production cost: $25,495
One of a set of twin concept cars, the Nissan IDx made its premiere in 2013 at the Tokyo Motor Show. Another car reminiscent of the past, its design was supposed to be similar to the Datsun SSS.
The IDX featured rear-wheel drive, a small, boxy yet lightweight body as well as a 1.6-liter engine. Though it was rumored to be affordable, the model simply sat on the shelf and was never pushed to production.
2006 Lamborghini Miura
Year: 2006
Debut at American Museum of TV and Radio
Production cost: $3 Million*
All at once vintage and modern, the Lamborghini Miura was a stunning model. The 2006 Miura was created to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original Miura concept created in 1966.
The sleek model weighed 2,425 pounds and, in true Lamborghini fashion, could reach speeds of 200 miles per hour. However, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann had no plans to make a new Miura, saying the 2006 Miura was simply a celebration of an iconic design.